Mushroom Agency UMDIS

10/12/2024

Neofungi Expands Its 2024 Production by 10% – Sergio Santiago

UMDIS recently spoke with Sergio Santiago, the commercial manager responsible for exports at Neofungi, to learn more about the company’s production growth for the 2023-2024 season. Neofungi, is part of the larger Champinter and Mercajucar groups, and a leading mushroom producer in Spain for over 50 years.

Read the full article here:
https://umdis.org/neofungi-expands-its-2024-production-by-10-sergio-santiago/

Want to be featured in the next article? Message UMDIS on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

UMDIS recently spoke with Sergio Santiago, the commercial manager responsible for exports at Neofungi, to learn more about the company’s production growth for the 2023-2024 season. Neofungi, is part of the larger Champinter and Mercajucar groups, and a leading mushroom producer in Spain for over 5...

09/12/2024

⛔ ❝ Fungal Diseases in mushroom cultivation: Good hygiene is the best prevention method ❞ - Andrey Gladkih.

Fungal diseases can cause serious problems to your crop- even if you do everything else right.

❌Without good hygiene and an effective disease control programs, your crop quality and yields will be negatively affected. It could even 'put you out of business'.

The most harmful diseases include:

➀ Cobweb disease (Cladobotryum)
➁ Dry bubble (Verticillium)
➂ Green mold (Trichoderma).

❗It’s important to regularly train your workers(growers, harvesters, etc) on how to spot and treat these diseases early otherwise it will be too late. Cladobotryum spreads like wildfire!

With fewer treatment products available each year, keeping your hygiene standards high and performing regular checks is more important than ever.

you can never do too much :
❶ Early disease identification and
treatment training
❷ Hygiene checks
❸ Refresher sessions.

⭐Thanks to Mushroom Agency UMDIS expert Andrey Gladkih for the discussion! Join us from 3rd to 5th February for a comprehensive harvesting organization course led by Andrey Gladkih. The course will cover disease identification and much more. For more details and registration information, visit our website:

https://umdis.org/harvestingcourses2025/

ⓘ Need help with registration? Message Mushroom Agency UMDIS on Messenger or leave a comment below, and we’ll assist you!

UMDIS Harvesting Organization Courses is the excellent opportunity to learn how to achieve effectiveness in your harvesting department.

08/12/2024

🚰 In this video, we’re watering the first flush.

If the growing room is free from diseases or other issues, I always water right before the first flush begins.This is a very important step . If the mushrooms are dried properly and on time, their quality is maintained—they remain white and beautiful.

Watering is especially important when the casing soil is of poor quality, dries quickly, and loses moisture easily.

Many growers focus too much on getting perfect quality in the first flush but end up compromising the second flush. The reasons?

1️⃣ If you don’t keep an eye on the bed’s moisture levels by the end of the first flush harvest, the bed starts to dry out, and the mycelium dries as well. As a result, the second flush doesn’t grow properly.

2️⃣ When cleaning the first flush, dry casing soil often gets pulled out, and this negatively affects the second flush. Again, the mushrooms in the second flush will not develop well.

☝One thing to always keep in mind: any mushroom that has been watered must be dried for a maximum of three hours. If you don’t, you risk losing quality. It's small details like this that really make a difference.

Are you facing challenges with casing soil and water management? Schedule a consultation with Mushroom Agency UMDIS experts. Send a message or comment.

🌟Thanks to UMDIS consultant Iurie Boiciuc for the share! Don’t miss Iurie’s upcoming farm course on April 28-30- Fungar Farm, Italy!

https://umdis.org/growingcourses2025-italy/

07/12/2024

The First Week of Our Online Composting Course concluded!

Time fly so fast when you’re learning from the best! We’ve just wrapped up the first week of our Commercial Mushroom Composting Course, and it’s been an amazing start. We had an great webinar with our experts Roman Stolper and Maksym Yenchenko.Here's what we’ve covered so far:

✅ Straw – the main ingredient of compost.
✅ Chicken and horse manure. We also discussed turkey manure, ammonium nitrates and other nitrogen(N) substitutes.
✅ Carbon(C), Calcium(Ca) and other supplements.

With 14 more days to go, there’s still loads of great content ahead. Our experts, Maksym Yenchenko and Roman Stolper, bring over 40 years of experience to guide you in every step of composting. Phase 1,2 and 3.

Haven’t signed up yet? No worries, you can still join us. You will access to recorded lessons, course materials, and webinars for 3 months.

📩 Message Mushroom Agency UMDIS on Messenger or visit:

https://umdis.org/online-composting-course/

for all the details and to register. Let’s keep learning and growing together!

07/12/2024

🎬 This growing room has the ideal humidification system. The water droplets are so fine, you can hardly see them without a flashlight. 🔦

✅Getting the humidification right is really important for keeping the mycelium healthy and thick. In some stages of cultivation, you need the humidity above 97%—and that’s just not possible without a good humidification system. If the water droplets are too large, the air won’t absorb the moisture properly.

⛔Without proper humidification, growing quality mushrooms and getting good yields becomes really difficult.

Struggling to maintain the optimum humidity levels in your growing room? Book a consultation with Mushroom Agency UMDIS via Messenger.

ℹ️Special thanks to UMDIS consultant Iurie Boiciuc for the valuable advice! Don’t miss our farm course in Italy on April 28-30- led by Iurie.

🌐 https://umdis.org/growingcourses2025-italy/

06/12/2024

⚠️Trichoderma❗❗

▷Here we see casing soil covered with Trichoderma — green mold.

We could discuss Trichoderma for hours, but today, the focus on this aggressive Trichoderma(Trichoderma harzianum).

❗This type of Trichoderma consumes mycelium. The mushrooms in this room will almost fail to grow. The contamination level of the growing room is about 90%. We will steam this room and discard everything.

This Trichoderma appears in the middle of the shock/cooldown phase. The shock phase occurs around the 7th or 8th day.

This problem is undoubtedly linked to the composting process.

This type of Trichoderma thrives when the compost has low acidity (pH of 6.2 or lower) or when the grain spawn is expired or was improperly stored. If the spawn was stored in warm conditions and then used to inoculate the compost, it could lead to contamination.

❝What can be done in such cases? The growing room should be kept dry, and the compost temperature should not exceed 26°C. If there is a known risk of Trichoderma contamination, it is better to maintain a compost temperature of 24°C. The composting technologist should also pay attention to excessive moisture levels in the compost to avoid waterlogging, which creates ideal conditions for mold growth.❞- Iurie Boiciuc

Thanks to UMDIS consultant Iurie Boiciuc for the insights. Are you facing trichoderma in your mushroom farm? Contact UMDIS via Messenger.

02/12/2024

🌟 The Online Course on Mushroom Composting Has Just Begun!

Master the art of commercial mushroom composting in 30 days with our intensive online course. Led by experts with over 40 years of combined experience.

Course Includes:
1️⃣ Detailed lessons on composting technology.
2️⃣ Live Q&A webinars with instructors.
3️⃣ Templates for compost mix calculation and composting schedules.
4️⃣ Access to lessons for 3 months.

💻 Learn at Your Convenience: Accessible on any device, anytime!

Meet Your Instructors:
-Maksym Yenchenko, UMDIS: 15+ years of mushroom industry expertise, UMDIS director and organizer of international courses.
-Roman Stolper, Composting expert: 25+ years of experience, currently managing a leading composting facility in Ireland.

This course is perfect for:
❶ Compost supervisors.
❷Compost site managers.
❸ Investors seeking an overview of the composting process.

For more details and registration, check out our website: https://umdis.org/online-composting-course/

🔗 Need help on registration? Message us on Facebook Messenger or drop a comment.

Course Plan FAQ Commercial mushroom composting A one-month intensive online course led by experts with over 40+ years of combined experience Fill out the form and get access to the intensive course at a special price right now. THE COURSE STARTS ON 2 DEC. 2024 €299 instead of €1200for a course o...

02/12/2024

I would like to invite you to join our hands-on mushroom cultivation&harvesting courses in Poland and Italy, designed to help you maximize your yields, improve harvesting efficiency, and reduce costs. Whether you’re looking to optimize your farming practices or enhance your team’s skills, these courses offer valuable knowledge from industry experts. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the best!

🟡 Harvesting Course with Andrey Gladkih

Dates: February 3-5, 2025
Location: FUNGUS S.C. Cooperative, West Poland

Join Andrey Gladkih, an expert with over 20 years of experience, for a 3-day workshop focusing on optimizing your harvesting processes. You’ll learn how to structure your harvesting department, implement effective strategies, and use KPIs to boost performance. This is your chance to improve your farm’s efficiency and productivity.

🟠 Professional Mushroom Cultivation Course with Wojtek Konieczny

Dates: February 11-13, 2025
Location: FUNGUS S.C., West Poland

In this workshop, you’ll discover key elements of mushroom cultivation that lead to high yields (up to 33 kg/m² from two flushes) and top-quality products. Wojtek Konieczny, who has two decades of experience in the industry, will cover everything from composting to harvest planning. As a bonus to course participants, you’ll tour FUNGAR SC composting facility to see best practices in action.

🟣 Button Mushroom Growing Course with Iurie Boiciuc

Dates: April 28-30, 2025

Location: Fungar Farm, Italy

Iurie Boiciuc, with 20+ years of consulting experience across top farms in Europe, will lead this 3-day workshop. You’ll learn modern techniques for growing button mushrooms, including compost and casing preparation, filling shelves, and optimizing growing room environments. Iurie’s proven strategies will help you improve both quality and yield on your farm.

🟢 Online Composting Course with Roman Stolper and Maksym Yenchenko

Date: December 2, 2024
Venue: Online via Telegram

This course will dive into Phase 2 and 3 composting techniques, led by composting experts Roman Stolper and Maksym Yenchenko. Whether you are new to composting or looking to refine your techniques, this course will provide valuable insights into improving compost quality and efficiency for better mushroom yields.

We offer discounts for multiple attendees from the same company or in a group. Additionally, we have special offers for those attending any two of our courses.

01/12/2024

◀In this video, we observe white Agaricus Mushrooms in the pinning phase. The cultivator is performing a light misting- a quick solution to prevent drying out.

🔎If you pay close attention, you’ll notice that the droplets are very fine, almost like a mist. This likely indicates that the grower noticed small pins or mycelium drying out and decided to mist lightly to prevent further desiccation(drying out) and support mushroom growth.

Drying out of the beds can occur for several reasons:
1️⃣Strong ventilation
2️⃣Excessive evaporation in the growing room,
3️⃣Poor-quality casing soil
highly active compost or
4️⃣Other technical issues.

🟡If we observe yellowing of the pins or mycelium, a light misting – often referred to as "boosting" – can be applied. This approach helps to prevent further drying out of the beds and stabilizes the growing environment

💡Thanks to UMDIS consultant Iurie Boiciuc, for the insights. Would you like to attend a farm training session with Iurie? Join us in Italy from April 28 to 30, 2025. You can also request an online or on-site consultation tailored to your farm's needs.
Reach out to Mushroom Agency UMDIS on Messenger for more details.📩💬

30/11/2024

“Cooking Mush” program by Kyriakides Mushrooms.

“Cooking Mush” is a cooking show that will be broadcast on the company’s YouTube channel. Hosted by George Kyriakides, each episode will feature delicious mushroom-based recipes, cooking tips, and creative ways to incorporate mushrooms into everyday meals...

Read the full article:

George Kyriakides from Kyriakides Mushrooms, a leading producer of mushrooms in Cyprus, has just shared with UMDIS the launch of their new “Cooking Mush” program. “Cooking Mush” is a cooking show that will be broadcast on the company’s YouTube channel. Hosted by George Kiriakides, each epi...

30/11/2024

Our partner GrowTime continues to grow and supply great lorries and trolleys to mushroom farms around the world

Thank you for your trust Lukasz Kiwala again.

You bought 8 years ago our Newton electric lorries (+ alu shelving, growing nets) and today we dispatched new order of Newtons because you trusted again!

I proud to work with you and support you in increasing picking efficiency thanks to our lorries.

29/11/2024

♻️Big compost yard needs to store tens of thousands of tons of straw for an entire season. But how should it be stored?

In practice, outdoor storage is often sufficient for most climates, as long as the stacks are made correctly.

Ideally, straw should be stored under a roof to protect it from rain, snow, and extreme heat. If a roof isn’t available, specialized agricultural covers are a good alternative. These covers shield the straw while still allowing it to breathe, unlike plastic, which can trap moisture and lead to mold growth.

⬆ The height and arrangement of straw stacks also matters. Tall stacks maximize space but require proper equipment and precautions. Medium-height stacks are safer and more manageable.

↔️Keeping at least 30 meters of clearance reduces the risk of fire spreading and provides easier access for inspections and maintenance.

☑Proper storage practices not only preserve straw quality but also ensure the safety and efficiency of the entire composting operation.

Join Maksym Yenchenko, UMDIS director and industry expert and Roman Stolper a composting consultant for an online course. You will learn all about composting from straw collection, storage,handling to phase 1, 2, and 3 composting.

-Date: 2nd December
-Mode: Online on a connected device(mobile phone, pc, ...)
-Duration: 1 month. You will access course materials for 3 months.

ℹ️Check out on our website [ https://umdis.org/online-composting-course ] for course details, FAQs and registration. Contact Mushroom Agency UMDIS via Messenger for assistance.

This course is supported by Agro-Projects, Christiaens Group and GROWTIME engineering.

28/11/2024

🔥Did you know that incorrectly stored straw is a major fire hazard?

Straw storage might seem like a straightforward task, but trust us, it comes with some serious fire safety risks. Some few precautions could mean the difference between composting and losing all your straw(the main raw material in composting) in just minutes.

Here’s what Mushroom Agency UMDIS composting experts have to say about fire prevention:

➀Keep at least 30 meters of space between straw stacks. This gives a safe buffer and prevents fires from jumping from one pile to another.
➁Make sure to clear all grass and hay around straw piles. Dry grass can be the perfect fuel for a fire to spread.
➂Ensure that the surrounding area is completely free of flammable vegetation. We’re talking weeds, dry plants, and anything else that could easily catch fire.
➃Always be vigilant about potential ignition sources—things like machinery, electrical equipment, or even ci******es can trigger a fire.

Fires can spread incredibly fast through straw stacks. Just one small spark from a nearby grassy area can quickly ignite the entire storage. We have seen farmers lose entire straw inventories because of overlooked fire prevention measures.

Keep your straw storage area clean, create fire breaks, and monitor the surroundings.

Join Maksym Yenchenko, UMDIS-director, mushroom industry expert and Roman Stolper, a composting consultant for 1 Month UMDIS Mushroom Agency composting course. You will learn all you need and more. Starting from sourcing raw materials, storage to the complete product. Phase 1, 2 and 3.

-Date: 2nd December
-Mode: Online- connected mobile phone or pc.
-Access lessons and course materials for 3 months plus 3 live webinars.

With support from Agro-Projects, Christiaens Group and GROWTIME engineering.

For more details on assistance contact us directly on Messenger. Full course description on website.

https://umdis.org/online-composting-course/

28/11/2024

✅❝The best supplement for mushrooms is more compost per m² ❞ - Iurie Boiciuc, UMDIS Consultant.

[ ▸ ] In this video, we can see racks(shelf units) filled with Agaricus mushroom compost. If we pay attention, the layer of compost is quite thick.

👍To grow dense, high-quality mushrooms with good evaporation and active compost, we need to provide sufficient nutrients per square meter.

❝The best supplement for mushrooms is more kilograms of compost per square meter. For third-phase compost, if we can control the temperature, it is advisable to use 85–90 kilograms per square meter. Without additional supplements, it is possible to go up to 100 kilograms per square meter, but we need to take into account that the more compost there is per square meter, the more it heats up❞- Iurie Boiciuc, UMDIS.

🌞In the summer, during hot weather, this can be quite dangerous. If the cooling system cannot handle the load, the risk of overheating becomes very high.

📈 In mushroom farming, the amount of dry matter per square meter is very important. It is important to ensure sufficient nutrition for the mushrooms.

Looking to optimize your farm's compost filling and management processes? Reach out to Mushroom Agency UMDIS via Messenger for expert, personalized consultation. Comment to get started.💬

ℹ️Thanks to UMDIS consultant Iurie Boiciuc for the tips. Check out UMDIS Italy course in our Facebook events for a farm training with Iurie: https://www.facebook.com/share/19Xri8PK77/

27/11/2024

Mushrooms in the Netherlands- Horeca Magazine.

The Dutch mushroom industry is a cornerstone of European agriculture, generating an impressive €1.5 billion in annual turnover and producing 1.098 million kilograms of mushrooms (source: Eurostat). Known for its self-sufficiency, sustainability, and innovation, the sector not only meets consumer demands for responsible consumption but also creates jobs and delivers affordable, high-quality products without shortages...

Disclaimer: This translation aims to preserve the integrity of the original article while making it accessible to a larger audience.

Published in: Horeca MagazinePublication Date: Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at 14:53 The Dutch mushroom industry is a cornerstone of European agriculture, generating an impressive €1.5 billion in annual turnover and producing 1.098 million kilograms of mushrooms (source: Eurostat). Known for its se...

27/11/2024

⭐❝There is always room for improvement - the road to perfection is endless.❞ - Andrey Gladkih, Harvesting Expert

📈To determine whether your harvesting department is performing well, you need to analyze several key factors and compare them to both your historical data and industry benchmarks. Here are some steps and metrics to guide your evaluation:

❶Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are measurable values that help you assess how well your harvesting operations are performing. They’re like a scorecard for your farm, showing you where you’re doing well and where there’s room for improvement. In mushroom harvesting, KPIs focus on:

➀ Yield (kg/m² or kg/t): Assess the weight of harvested mushrooms per square meter (or per ton of compost) to gauge overall productivity of each flush and total.

➁ Quality (% of First-Class or Premium Mushrooms): Measure the proportion of high-quality mushrooms in the total harvest.

➂ Picking Speed (kg/h): Evaluate the efficiency of pickers by tracking their output per hour.

➃ Cost per kg: The cost of harvesting per kilogram is a crucial metric to ensure profitability.

❷Analyze Trends Over Time
Review historical data to identify whether your key performance indicators (KPIs) are improving, declining, or stagnating. Trends in areas such as yields, quality, and efficiency are critical.

❸Compare with Industry Standards
Benchmark your KPIs against those of similar farms or industry averages. This provides context for your data and highlights areas for potential improvement.

❝For example, leading farms are regularly yielding well in excess of 30kg/m² for white closed cup mushrooms in 2 flushes. Latest harvesting systems allow achieving pick rates of 40-45 kg/h. But there is always room for improvement - the road to perfection is endless.❞ - Andrey Gladkih

Thanks to harvesting expert Andrey Gladkih for the tips! Want to learn more from Andrey Gladkih? Join his course at Fungus SC Farm in Poland!
Contact Mushroom Agency UMDIS on Messenger or drop a comment to get started.📩💬

🔗 Check out more info on Andrey's course on UMDIS Facebook events[ https://www.facebook.com/share/19Y9Xu5HS7/ ]

27/11/2024

⚠❝A White Shelf Comes With it's Risks and Requires Careful Monitoring❞- Iurie Boiciuc, UMDIS.

▷In this video, we see the pinning phase, which appears to be around the third day.

✍️It is worth noting that the grower has done an excellent job, as the shelves are quite white, with plenty of robust mycelium clusters – just the way I like them.

Additionally, the mycelium has not dried out, and all the mushrooms are developing directly from the shelf surface.

❝For less experienced mushroom growers, this can be quite risky. A mere half-day of neglect could cause the mycelium to dry out and turn yellow, leading to a poor or very sparse crop. However, in this case, the humidity levels were well-controlled, and I see no signs of drying.❞- Iurie Boiciuc, UMDIS Consultant.

✅ The mushrooms are growing evenly across the shelf, which greatly increases the likelihood of achieving clean, white, and beautiful(high quality) mushrooms. And a high great yield too. To achieve 90-95% clean and white mushrooms, it is important to work on maintaining white shelves like the ones in this video.

❝ However, a white shelf comes with it's risks and requires careful monitoring❞.

Thanks to Iurie Boiciuc- UMDIS for the tips. If you are facing challenges with achieving or maintaining white shelves, book a consultation with Mushroom Agency UMDIS on Messenger. Check out UMDIS Facebook events for online/farm mushroom cultivation courses.

26/11/2024

▶️In this video, UMDIS consultant shows how to correctly insert a compost temperature sensor.

🌡️It is important that the tip of the sensor is positioned in the middle of the compost layer. To achieve this, the sensor should be inserted at a slight angle so that its tip remains centered within the layer.

🟫 If the sensor is close to the casing soil, the readings will be affected by the moisture and temperature of the casing layer. Conversely, if the sensor is angled towards the bottom of the compost layer, the readings may be influenced by water accumulation under the plastic film. In either case, the sensor will not provide accurate measurements.

🎯You should ensure the sensor is correctly positioned in the middle of the layer for accurate temperature readings.

Additionally, the sensor cable must be intact and free of splices or tape. In the video, the sensor has two taped connections, which can cause issues.
During watering or harvesting, water droplets might seep into the taped areas, or the cable could be slightly pulled, leading to inaccurate readings.

✅A continuous, undamaged cable is important for accuracy. When cables with different diameters or materials are joined, the resistance changes, and this impacts the sensor's readings. Simply taping connections will result in incorrect data.

Message Mushroom Agency UMDIS on Messenger for consultation on managing compost temperature and climate control. Drop a comment to get started.

Thanks to Iurie Boiciuc for sharing this! Join one of our farm courses courses with Iurie. Check out UMDIS Facebook events for details.